Postcard from Block Island

For my most of my childhood I grew up spending summers far away with my dad, so I never vacationed on the shorelines of Rhode Island or Massachusetts. Through visits with friends, I finally got to see Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket after college. When we decided on a quick getaway to Block Island last summer, I assumed it would be more of the same. But Block Island has its own personality. Favored by sailors, and a relatively quick ferry ride from the mainland, I was thrilled by the island terrain . It’s surprisingly rugged, with its hollows, hillsides and cliffs and the endless stone walls criss-crossing through the interior of the island.

Our first stop was our hotel, The Spring House. It’s got that perfect hilltop location that delighted me from the moment we walked up from the ferry. It also reminded me of the house from Beetlejuice, there is a bit of old, mysterious, New England charm at work here.

Once on Block Island, the preferred way to see the island is by bike. I was surprised to find a hilly landscape, with no bike lane and rather narrow roads. We wanted an quick overview of the island, but had limited time after losing a full day to rain, so we jumped in a taxi and a gregarious cabbie showed us the sights.

You know you’re in Rhode Island when you see Del’s.

No beach access at our hotel, so we swung by Ballard’s for some sun (and a mudslide).

Block Island is marvelous on a summer day, but our first day on the island, it rained – ALL.DAY.LONG! This is no fun when you’re on foot, trudging around soggy and cold, but I also saw kids playing board games in the lobby of our hotel and it was a quaint throwback to summer days when you had to entertain yourself, not just tune out with your ear buds, phone and wi-fi connection.